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U.S. stock index futures inched higher on Wednesday evening, supported by blowout earnings and strong guidance from Micron Technology, although broader gains remained limited as investors stayed cautious ahead of key U.S. inflation data and a highly anticipated address by President Donald Trump. The modest rebound followed a negative Wall Street session, where technology stocks extended their recent pullback amid lingering concerns over elevated artificial intelligence valuations and mixed economic signals.
By 19:17 ET, S&P 500 Futures were up 0.1% at 6,787.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.3% to 24,969.25 points. Dow Jones Futures hovered near flat at 48,264.0 points. The futures market steadied after major indexes closed sharply lower earlier in the day, reflecting ongoing investor unease around economic growth and the sustainability of aggressive AI-related spending.
Micron Technology shares surged more than 7% in after-hours trading after the chipmaker delivered a strong earnings beat for its fiscal first quarter and issued upbeat guidance well above analyst expectations. The company forecast adjusted earnings per share of $8.42, plus or minus $0.20, for the current quarter, nearly double the consensus estimate of $4.49. Micron highlighted robust demand from the artificial intelligence sector, particularly as cloud and technology companies continue expanding data center capacity.
As a major supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips alongside Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Micron has benefited from accelerating AI infrastructure investment, which has helped offset weaker demand from consumer electronics. Still, despite Micron’s strong performance, skepticism around stretched AI stock valuations continued to weigh on the broader tech sector, limiting upside in futures trading.
Elsewhere in after-hours action, Instacart shares dropped sharply following reports of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe into alleged AI-driven price discrimination. In contrast, Coinbase Global gained after announcing plans to integrate traditional stock trading and prediction market contracts into its platform, signaling diversification beyond cryptocurrency services.
Market participants now turn their focus to upcoming U.S. CPI inflation data, expected to show headline inflation rising to 3.1% year over year. Persistent inflation and a resilient labor market remain critical factors shaping Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, keeping investors cautious despite selective earnings-driven optimism.
